1. Field of the Invention
The invention herein pertains to the field of acetanilide compounds, their manufacture and their use as herbicides. In more particular, the invention pertains to the field of .alpha.-cyano-.alpha.-dialkylphosphonato acetanilides and their use as active ingredients in herbicidal compositions. The compounds herein are prepared by the reaction of an .alpha.-cyano-.alpha.-dialkylphosphonate carbanion with aromatic isocyanates or isothiocyanates.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the prior art are found various pesticidal, e.g., insecticidal or herbicidal compositions whose active ingredients are composed of compounds having various nitrogen/phosphorus/oxygen and/or sulfur-derived configurations, produced by a variety of methods. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,057,774 are described insecticidal carbamoylalkyl phosphonothioate compositions prepared by the reaction of an ammonium or alkali metal salt of phosphonothioic acid with halohydrocarbylamide in an anhydrous medium.
A further example of prior art compounds as described above is found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,776,984 which discloses as pre-emergent herbicidal compounds S-dichloromethyl oxyphosphorus thioates prepared from substituted dichloromethane sulfenyl chlorides by reaction with a tertiary oxyphosphorus compound. Among various groups which may be substituted on the dichloromethane sulfenyl moiety are those having the --CONR.sub.2 structure wherein the R's may be, e.g., hydrogen, phenyl or substituted phenyl.
Numerous other examples may be found in the prior art of pesticidal compounds having other nitrogen/phosphorus/oxygen and/or sulfur configurations. However, to applicants' knowledge, the compounds and process for preparing them as described herein are novel.